Direction of Centrifugal Force?

[tomtomtom123]

I am trying to understand how centrifugal force works when applied to a train.

For example, if I had a train that had zero super elevation, was traveling along a curve, of some radius at some speed then the centrifugal force acting on the train would be of a certain magnitude which would act in a horizontal straight line i.e. along the x-axis through the center of gravity.

Now, if that same train had super elevation applied to it with the same speed & curvature then the centrifugal force acting on the train would be less in magnitude but what I want to know is does the centrifugal force still act horizontally in a straight line (along the x axis) through the center of gravity but with a lesser magnitude or does the direction of centrifugal force change and become inclined due the application of super elevation?


Can anyone explain??

Thank you

 

[cjl]

What is super elevation?

 

[K^2]

I'm guessing he means an incline.

The centripetal force always acts perpendicular to direction of motion and in the plane containing the path.

 

[AC130Nav]

I am trying to understand how centrifugal force works when applied to a train.

For example, if I had a train that had zero super elevation, was traveling along a curve, of some radius at some speed then the centrifugal force acting on the train would be of a certain magnitude which would act in a horizontal straight line i.e. along the x-axis through the center of gravity.

Now, if that same train had super elevation applied to it with the same speed & curvature then the centrifugal force acting on the train would be less in magnitude but what I want to know is does the centrifugal force still act horizontally in a straight line (along the x axis) through the center of gravity but with a lesser magnitude or does the direction of centrifugal force change and become inclined due the application of super elevation?


Can anyone explain??

Thank you

In the U.S., we speak of the camber of roads (including railroads). The idea is to get the direction of gravity as measured by a plumb bob in the car on on the train to hang straight down. This keeps the car from skidding and the train car from tipping. It's a simple force triangle (remember that vector's are added head to tail) with the desired incline of the road being perpendicular to the resultant vector. See attached.